MR WILLS "CORNERED."

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 9538, 25 November 1893, Page 4

MR WILLS "CORNERED."

Biß,- If Mr Wills tbiuks tlmli ho can by the very easy nrguuieut, "tv qitoquc," wriggle out of tho position in v.hica lie finds hlmse'f. by all means let him try. I will not tire your readers by following him thioagh all his sinuosities, but will point out that wriggle as be may he cannot explaio away the fact tbat he did denounce na "selfish men" who "like a drop," v large number of persons most of whom would allow the, public - house system to continue because they consider Ittlght that the public should have tbat means of procuring fermented liquors. In the passage In his letter of the 9th Odtober last—" because selfish men like a drop and other selfish men are willing to fatten on the ruin temporal and eternal of their fellow men"— he clearly refers to two separate classes, viz , the castomers of publicans and the publicans themselves, and when I challenge him with having denonnced moderate drinkers as "selfish men" he says: "I have never Charged men with selfishness became they nee Intoxicating beverages." (l) Mr Wills has a wonderful gift oi proving that words both la the Bible and oat of it mean f ometbing quite different from that which the ordluary reader would take them to mean.

As regards " elegant English," may I point oat to him that we do not '' part) with" a man, bit from him, although we may meet with him. It is precisely because I do " sympathise wkb the poor man," and do not wißb to see him " oppressed " by the crnel kindness of his aelf-elecled guardians, that I have denounced, in the plain terms, whichoffenried Mr Wills, the pretensions of those who wt np an Idol of their own manufacture, and call upon us to bow down and worship 16 ; and I hope that the common sense of the temperate party (whether total abstainers or moderate drinkers) trill make them reply to the prohibitionists, " Be it known unto yon that we will not worahip the image which yon have set up." " The weak brother," is to Mr Wills what King Charles the First) ■was to Dickens's " Mr Dick," who could not write a page of bis memorial without introducing the " Royal Martyr." This being so, I will c'en take leave of the Prohibitionists with the following ODE TO THE WEAK-KNEED BROTHER.

Oh thou who Boarco oan walk or stand, Who of thyself lias lost command, Thou art A power In this land, Oh Weak-kneed Brother 1 Thy strength doth in thy weakness Ho ; Thoult havo us smuggled by-and-byo Because thou wallowest In thy styo. Oh Weak-kneed Brothor I m. And so When thou dost play tho fool, Fanatlosuso thoe as thotr tool, That) they o'or sober men may mlo. Oh weak-kneod Brother! IV. Thou ehnlt porchanco decido tho fato Of many a new candidate Who hopes through theo to rule tho State, Oh Weak-kneed Brother I V. Re need no politician ho. From other pledges he'll bo tree It he will but take care of theo. Oh Weak-kneed Brother! VI. When Prohibition's law, I foar That clergymen of " ono idea " Will miss thee whon of thee we're clear. Oh Weak-kneed Brother. vn. When thoy o'or thco no moro can gronn Whatever wiw they preach upon I They'll find thoir " occupation gone," Oh Weak-kneed Brothor !

vin. That slate ot things my " cynic " mood Would much rejoice, for then wo should See how from evil, may come good, Oh Weak-kneed Brother I — lam, &c, H. H. MußDOcn. Hastings, November 15, 1893.